This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

The Disturbance

Don't get too comfortable. There's always someone who has to come along and disturb the peace.

Monday came and with that came the beginning of Jinora's tutoring sessions.

Every year, since the beginning of high school, Jinora had made something of a gig from her tutoring sessions in the library. Winter would nearly arrive and the librarian would ask her if she'd like to assist with their after school homework help program. Time went on and it didn't take long before some started asking for her help with specific things whether it'd be a particular literature chapter or maybe help studying for a test. So, for a price, she opened up her schedule to do one on one sessions with a student as long as they had something specific in mind. They would pay her and she'd give up that extra time. By spring break, she usually had a nice little reserve of cash.

End of Fall this year would be no different. Or, at least hardly different.

It was nice to know that her boyfriend was fully supportive of her when she'd been worried that he would be at least a little disconcerted about her filling up her schedule.

"Why would I be unhappy?" asked Kai, raising an amused eyebrow at her. He leaned a side against the hallway wall."This is what you do. You've done if for a couple years now."

"Well, to be honest, I was just worried that you might not like the fact that I won't have as much time to spend with you," said Jinora, frowning.

"And that kind of worries me," he said, losing the amusement a little bit. "I really hope that I haven't been seeming like that kind of boyfriend lately or anything."

"No, no. I would have said something if that was the case. I just..." she sighed, smiling a little and took his face in her hands. "We're finally doing a little better. I mean, yeah my Dad still really doesn't at all like you and Ikki and I... It's just that it's been one thing after the other for two months... ever since the whole secret thing went to ashes... we're finally getting some peace and I just want to make sure that it can stay that way. At least reasonably."

He smiled back at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I understand, sweetheart... but these last two months have also helped us learn more about each other... and ourselves. I can't predict the future, but if there's anything I know it's that I still love you to bits and I'm still committed to you like I am to no one else. And the best part is that I know how to better stay that way. Not that it would ever change, but... what I'm trying to say is that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We're going to be just peachy. "

"I'm... I'm really glad you feel that way, love," she said, feeling her heart melt a little. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?"

"Something to that effect," he leaned in to plant a chaste kiss and her lips and she swore she could have stayed that way forever. For the first time in weeks... she felt light. Everything wasn't perfect, but at least their relationship felt harmonious again. Almost even more so really. They'd steadily talked through their feelings of guilt since Jinora's breakthrough meeting with Korra, Asami and Opal and found that they understood each other even better now. If that was possible. Whatever the case, this feeling was like a breath of fresh air.

When they pulled back, Kai's arms slacked at her waist, but still remained there.

"So, do you know how many people will probably be down there today?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "But I'm willing to bet there's going to be at least a dozen who'll want help with the upcoming literature final. Mrs. Tunji said that's what she's heard from a lot of the people who've signed up at the library. So, I'll probably just have one big teaching session about that and let the other tutors deal with anybody who needs other things. Then, you know, if they need me afterward."

She shrugged.

"They'll have to pay for your brains," he grinned. "I'm not going to lie. I'm really glad you make people pay for extra time."

"Well, to be honest, sometimes I'll cut down on the pay if they're tight on cash and really need the help, but you know I hardly have time for a job. Or rather, I couldn't really handle one right now."

"I know and that's fair of you, but," he pursed his lips, rocking his head side to side in thought. "As much as I love the fact that you're willing to help anyone, sometimes, it's just a little excessive on you. Like, last week. You basically held Joyun's hand and did his economics homework for him, didn't you?"

She knew her cheeks had gone a little pink at that.

"I didn't do it for him exactly..."

"More or less. It's nice to help people, but sometimes I think they know that you'll help them and they take advantage of that. Don't get me wrong, babe. Again, I love that about you, but it is okay to put a line somewhere. If there's anything I'm worried about with your tutoring it's that. Which is why I say I'm glad you make them pay for extra time. Most people will only fork over cash if they really need the help and can't afford to mess around."

"And that's why I can afford to give them the benefit of the doubt," she said, playfully pressing a finger to his chin.

"Yeah, well, that's not something I'm always willing to do with some people. Especially when it's something concerning you," he said, leaning his forehead down to hers and kissing the tip of her nose in mutual play.

She giggled.

"You're so overprotective sometimes."

He smiled against her lips.

"I'm only like that because I've met enough people to know who's going to take advantage of you and who won't. I won't interfere... you can handle yourself, but I'm also going to let them know I will become a barrier if it becomes necessary. I hate the fact that now that people know we're dating, a slew of guys who never dared come talk to you now want to get to know you so much. If they need "help" as I think they might then they better take it somewhere else."

"I don't know why, to be honest," she sighed, resting her hands on his chest when he tightened his arms around her waist again. "Don't get me wrong. I don't want to be flirted with, but I don't see what's so intimidating about me."

"Nothing. Okay, not exactly, but almost nothing." he said, closing his eyes, forehead still pressed against hers. "They just thought you were out of their league. They would have been correct of course. Spirits, I'd think you were out of my league if we didn't fit so well together."

"Our relationship has nothing to do with leagues and you know that," she said mock-sternly.

"Of course, I know. My point is that you're flawless," he said, laughing a little.

She reached her arms under his and wrapped them around his torso.

"I'm nowhere near flawless, love," she said quietly.

"You are to me."

"...even through everything that's happened lately?"

"In spite of it... because of it," he told her solemnly. "I don't know too many people who can deal with so much and still be such a good person to everyone she meets... even to those of us who might not always deserve it."

He smiled at her, opening his eyes now.

"Then if that's the case, you're just as perfect as I am because not everyone can have someone who loves as hard you do, but more importantly as considerately as you do and I don't think you even know just how priceless that is. At least to me."

"Then I guess we're just a pair of diamonds, aren't we?" he grinned.

"We're corny," she laughed as he let go and they began walking down the hallway hand in hand. "That's what we are."

"That's fine by me," he said. "In fact, I think that's brilliant."

-:-:-:-

At four o'clock that evening, Jinora was dismayed when her charge walked in. Almost nervous.

Skoochy.

If there was one person she would have liked not to deal with it probably would have been Skoochy. His general attitude annoyed her and he wasn't exactly her favorite person. However, above all, the reason why she really didn't feel like dealing with him was ultimately because Kai hated him.

Skoochy had been a foster brother to Kai years back and, from what Kai had told her as well as from what she had witnessed between the two over the years, he took every opportunity to make trouble for Kai just because he could. Needless to say, most of the fights that Kai had gotten into in the past few years were more often than not with Skoochy in some form or way.

Now, she was supposed to be tutoring him? Her boyfriend's hated former foster brother?

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Why did these things always have to happen to her?

"Hey, babe," said Skoochy, pulling up a chair beside her. "What's shakin'?"

Jinora felt herself twitch despite her smile.

"Please don't call me that."

"What? Does your boyfriend call you that?" he asked, smirking.

"In fact, he does. So, please."

"Okay," he said. "Well, toots-"

"Call me by my name. No nicknames please," she said forcefully.

She did not want to be dealing with this today. She didn't want to deal with this at all. For Raava's sake, if Kai walked in there right now he might have a fit and she couldn't exactly blame him. That past summer they'd had something of an argument when she mentioned that Skoochy had apparently told his friends he thought she was pretty and Kai had gotten rather jealous. Irate even. Out of protectiveness mostly, but still, that wasn't something he tended to do. Sure, admittedly, Kai was the jealous type, but he was normally fine and didn't flare up every single time a guy talked to her.

But Skoochy made his blood boil and if he saw them in such close quarters... it made her nervous. She was determined to keep on top of rejecting any and all advances the guy might try to make on her.

"Shall we get started?" she asked politely. "What did you need help with?"

"Well, I got the twenty yuans for today like you said to," said Skoochy, pulling out the money and sliding it over to her. She took it and secured it in her bag. "I need help with History. The broad bores me to death and I fall asleep in there so I'm kind of falling behind... my folks are railing on me to pick up my grade. We have an exam in a couple weeks and here I am. Can you help?"

"I can," she replied simply. She'd helped Kai with history many times. It was not his most favorite of subjects, so, this would be something relatively easy for her to get going. "Show me what exactly you're having trouble with and we can get started."

Just as she had expected, tutoring with Skoochy was beyond annoying.

He liked to get purposefully close to her. Putting his arm around her chair as if to put it around her or leaning into her as if he was just trying to get a better look at a passage from the textbook. At certain points she thought he was going to try to dip in for a kiss and Jinora was more than prepared to punch him in the nose if he so much as moved his neck in her direction.

No matter whatever way she moved, he moved with her.

When an hour had passed and it was time to finish up, Jinora was just done. The sooner she got away from Skoochy the better.

"Okay," sighed Jinora. "Did any of that help? You seemed to have understood things better by the end."

"I got some of it, but I still can't keep those dates straight from the Air Nomad Hunt..."

"Well, we'll work on that tomorrow. I'll be here the same time," she said, but before she could get up to leave, she felt someone come over to the table.

She looked up.

Kai?

It wasn't the fact that he had walked up to them that surprised her. It was the fact that he had walked up so calmly.

How long had be been there? If he'd walked in the entrance then he would have seen her and Skoochy studying. Her ultimate question was to why he hadn't walked up sooner if that was the case.

Kai cleared his throat, seemingly torn between stoic politeness and displeasure.

"You guys done?" he asked simply, speaking more directly to Jinora than to Skoochy.

"We are," she said, getting up and looking at him, slightly surprised. She turned back to Skoochy. "Same time tomorrow."

"No worries," he said, waving with his fingers, satisfied smile curled across his face. At that, she could have slapped him, knowing he was happy to be getting under Kai's skin. "I wouldn't miss it. See ya around, Kai."

Kai only growled a little and walked ahead of Jinora, clearly trying to get away from the one person he always wanted to punch in the gut. When they got out of the library, Kai slowed down and Jinora caught up with him.

"So... Skoochy, huh?"

"Yeah, he needs help with History," she said, shrugging. "It's not fun, but he really needs the help and he pays me for it. So, it works. It'll only be for a couple weeks until the exam."

"Mm."

She eyed him, letting silence come between them for a moment.

"...I'm really proud of you, you know that?"

Kai actually stopped in his tracks. "Proud?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded.

"Why is that?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, you didn't go straight over there and try to knock him out for starters. That was nice. You didn't let him get to you."

"I wanted to punch him. He needs to learn what personal space is," said Kai, huffing. "Now that you bring it up, I really wanted to hit him."

"But you didn't."

Jinora smiled at him. Sometimes she wondered if Kai ever knew just how much he'd matured in the last year alone. A year ago he might have throttled the guy on sight. Not that Skoochy wouldn't have probably deserved it, but things had changed. Kai had changed. He'd matured. While all the parts that she had fallen in love with were still very much there, it was nice to know that the little things she always felt had been weighing him down were lifted off his shoulders. At least a little.

"What?" he asked when she kept staring at him.

"You've become an even better man than when I first got together with you. Not that I didn't like you then, but... it's really nice. To see how far you've come. You know, I remember a time when you barely cared if you passed any of your classes, but here you are with better grades than me honestly."

"Because your classes are hard," he pointed out, taking her hand. "Like, really hard. If I had your class schedule I'd be flunking like a rock in the sea. Besides..."

He smiled at her now, coming closer.

"Besides what?" she asked softly.

"I owe most of that to you," he said. "That's what."

"You did all of that."

"But you made me care. You showed me why I should care and that's something even Mako and Bolin had a hard time making me see."

"Well, I hate to add to this mushfest," she laughed. "But you still always had the resolve. I changed nothing. You always had that in you. With your grades, your life and with your past problems like Skoochy."

He laughed a little now too.

"Yeah, well, don't give me too much credit. I'm still not entirely sure I can resist hitting him every time the urge hits me."

Jinora looked at him for a moment, then squeezed his hand.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

Kai sighed, smiling. He brought her hand to his lips.

"More than anything this world could ever have to offer me."

"Do you trust me?" she asked, getting closer as he took her other hand and did the same to it.

"With my every from of being."

"Then you know," she said quietly. "That nothing he could ever do will make me look his way like that. Nothing. And that I will not let him even get the idea that I'm going to entertain him in any way even remotely close to that. Nothing even close. You are my one and only."

He let out a breath, content. "As you are mine."

When he let go and they started walking again, she wrapped an arm around his.

"Are you still fine with going to that burger place for dinner? The one with those veggie burgers you love?" he asked.

"Mm-hm. I already called home and they said it was fine."

-:-:-:-

The next day, Jinora was just as eager to get away from Skoochy as she had been the day before. If anything, she found his "subtle flirting" more insufferable. He got so close to her – on "accident," of course – she actually had to slide her chair over just to have any breathing room.

Done for the day, Jinora bid Skoochy a simple goodbye as she got up to leave, but he came around before she could get too far.

"So, uh..." he began, wearing that smirk she never liked. When he reached a hand over hers, she immediately retracted it. "You should come over to my place."

"No, thanks," she said, disgusted.

"Okay, the, the park, the mall, my car... c'mon," he egged on, reaching out to hold her hand again. "Kai's not that much different from me. If you can be with him then why not give me a try?"

She backed away, frowning deeply. Now, she spoke with force in her tone.

"Skoochy, look. First of all, I love Kai and, for the record, he is nothing like you. Second of all, I don't appreciate you making all sorts of advances on me. I am not in any way, shape or form interested. Not a smidgen. Not only that, but, as you very well know, I have a boyfriend and my boyfriend already wants to hit you. So, please, just back off."

"Let him try," Skoochy laughed, irritatingly casual. "He couldn't-"

"He'd flatten you outright," she said with a cold pride. "You wouldn't stand a chance and you know it. I don't want him to get in any trouble over putting you in the hospital."

Skoochy scowled at her, obviously incensed that she had written him off so easily. After another moment, he snorted.

"Fine. Whatever," he scoffed, still frowning and eyes narrowed as he turned to walk away. "See ya tomorrow, princess."

She sighed when he finally left, relieved despite him taunting her with her school nickname. Hopefully, now he'd keep whatever interaction they had strictly polite and professional. He was the last headache she needed at the moment.

The day after that, Jinora waited for Kai at her locker as lunch started. He was supposed to bring back her one of those veggie burgers that they'd had the other day. While she didn't approve of him skipping class – "If I have to read one more word of that ancient 'greatest love story of all time' I'll end rolling my eyes out of my own head," he'd told her earlier – she couldn't help but like the idea of him bringing her food and them eating lunch together.

She glanced down the hall out of boredom, noting the other people as they spilled to and fro out of the lunchroom.

Standing near her locker, there was Devani chatting away with her friends...

Coming out of the cafeteria, there was Keun obviously trying to get some girl's number...

Down the hall, there was Skoochy and Ikki kissing.

Across the way from her, there was-

Wait.

What?

She blinked, her mouth fallen open. Was that... no. No way. Absolutely not. There was absolutely no way.

She blinked again rapidly, rubbing her eyes for good measure.

No... she wasn't going crazy.

That was indeed who she thought it was.

Her little sister was kissing... kissing Skoochy.

Jinora's brain all but stopped except for one thought.

What. The. Fuck?

To be honest, I can't lie, I had real fun writing Jinora having a little "my man could kick your ass" moment with Skoochy.

Also, lots of fluff. They've been needing some fluff for a while. :)

This chapter was kind of hard to write at the beginning and isn't as long, but I still enjoyed writing the ending. Now, aside from maybe next chapter, I'll tell you guys that poop's really going to hit the fan around chapter 14 (as well). But with this chapter, I tried to show Kai and Jinora enjoying each other's harmony again. Like, finally, they seem to have gotten over quite the hurdle and can be at peace with their own relationship together as far as their own feelings go (that doesn't outrule external forces though so watch out!).

Other than that, there's not much to say this chapter. I feel like, aside from it's own plot, this chapter was a bit more transition like and perhaps that's why it's not as long.

Sorry, this chapter took so long! Like I said, it was kind of hard to start (wording wise, I knew what was supposed to happen) and school also started back up. Plus, art projects.

As always, you guys know I really love it when you drop those reviews. They keep me motivated and keep me writing the story! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!